What she said: translating mum-talk

Excuse me, but what’s that acronym? Conception, pregnancy and parenting open up a whole new world of information, including a seemingly foreign language. Christine Stride translates.

Mummy message boards have their own language, so you’ll need to learn the lingo if you want to join in. Whether you’re TTC by ART or FTPG with a case of GD, there’s an online forum buzzing with others just like you. From the comfort of your couch, you, Babycakes, MissionBump and LoLa1985 can chat about everything from whether it’s normal to crave charcoal, to how often you’ve had to pee already this morning. These forums come with their own coded language, one that shortens those lengthy clinical descriptions, and helps lighten the serious nature of some of the issues surrounding conception and pregnancy.

Here’s our code-breaker for those acronyms:

AF

Aunt Flo (your period)

AI

Artificial insemination

AIH

Artificial insemination with husband’s sperm

ART

Assisted reproductive technology

BOB

Baby on board

BBT

Basal body temperature (if you’re charting your fertility, this is your temperature when you first wake up in the morning)